Waukesha, Wis. – Two Republican establishment favorites shared the makeshift stage Monday of a tidy gymnasium at a charter school on the outskirts of Milwaukee.
There was ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, at the helm of what once seemed like a juggernaut campaign for president but is now facing unrelenting questions from donors and supporters after three flat debate performances.
And there was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a front-runner in Iowa over the summer summer who dropped out of the race in September after burning through campaign donations at a remarkable clip.
Walker did not offer his endorsement to Bush, and he was set to meet with the candidate’s arch-rival, Sen. Marco Rubio, later Monday at a fundraiser. But the meeting here offered a glimpse of the fast-moving dynamics of the still-unsettled Republican presidential race from two politicians who may have underestimated the anti-establishment tide.
Much is on the line for Bush at Tuesday's debate, which you can read about here. But Monday was an opportunity for him to harp back on his new campaign mantra - "Jeb Can Fix It" - with a campaign speech about his charter school expansion in Florida.
“Parents are on the front line of this fight, and I hope we will stay the course,” said Bush. “This is not about the economic opportunities of adults. This is about making sure children meet their God-given abilities.”
The appearance at the La Casa de Esperanza charter school, sponsored by the Wisconsin advocacy group Hispanics for School Choice, was the first public event featuring the two governors since Walker abandoned his presidential bid. And Bush told about 100 parents and students that he admired them “just as I much as I admire Scott Walker” for supporting school choice.
The school is chartered by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and it opened with classes for 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds. Walker said he hoped the system could be a national model.
“We want that to happen all across the country,” said Walker. “But we need to have leaders that understand that.”
Among those in the crowd was Latanya Wright, whose 4-year-old son student at the school. She describes herself as a proud Democrat, but she has wholeheartedly embraced charter schools even as party leaders fear they could undercut public school systems.
“I don’t see why there’s any divide,” she said. “I moved here from Chicago and I could immediately tell the difference. My kids get more help here. It really matters.”
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